Chapter 3 - Use and Occupancy
This chapter is determined by Architect. The use group, which is detailed in the chapter, describes how the building will be used by occupants. It's important to review Chapter 3 for special structural criteria such as fire rating, fire separation, and loads. Other special detailed requirements are specified in Chapter 4.
The Use Groups are, as specified:
- A = Assembly
- B = Business
- E = Educational
- F = Factory
- H = High Hazard
- I = Institutional
- M = Mercantile
- R = Residential
- S = Storage
- U = Utility and Misc.
The following is a description of usage:
Assembly Group A – Gathering together of persons for purposes such as civic, social or religious functions, recreation, food or drink consumption or awaiting transportation.
- A-1 Fixed seating intended for the production and viewing of performing arts or motion pictures
- A-2 Intended for food and/or drink consumption
- A-3 Intended for worship, recreation or amusement and other assembly uses not classified elsewhere in Group A
- A-4 Intended for viewing of indoor sporting events and activities with spectator seating
- A-5 Intended for participation in or viewing outdoor activities
Business Group B – Office, professional or service-type transactions
Educational Group E – Six or more persons at any one time for educational purposes through the 12th grade
Factory Group F – Assembling, disassembling, fabricating, finishing, manufacturing, packaging, repair or processing operations
- F-1 Factory Industrial Moderate-Hazard
- F-2 Factory Industrial Low-Hazard
High-Hazard Group H – Manufacturing, processing, generation or storage of materials that constitute a physical or health hazard in quantities in excess of limits established by the Code
- H-1 Detonation hazard
- H-2 Deflagration hazard or a hazard from accelerated burning
- H-3 Support combustion or present a physical hazard
- H-4 Health Hazards
- H-5 Semiconductor facilities and comparable research and development areas in which hazardous production materials are used
Institutional Group I – People having physical limitations because of health or age are harbored for medical treatment or other care or treatment; people detained for penal or correctional purposes
- I-1 Housing more than 16 persons, on a 24-hour basis, who, because of age, mental disability or other reasons, live in a supervised residential environment. The occupants are capable of responding to an emergency with help from staff.
- I-2 Medical, surgical, psychiatric, nursing or custodial care on a 24-hour basis of more than five persons who are not capable of self-preservation.
- I-3 Inhabited by more than five persons who are under restraint or security.
- I-4 Occupied by persons of any age who receive custodial care for less than 24 hours by individuals other than parents or guardians, relatives by blood or marriage, or adoption.
Mercantile Group M – Display and sale of merchandise, and involves stocks of goods, wares or merchandise incidental to such purposes and accessible to the public
Residential Group R – Provides sleeping accommodations when not classified as an Institutional Group I
- R-1 Residential occupancies where the occupants are primarily transit in nature (less than 30 days)
- R-2 Residential occupancies containing more than two dwelling units where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature
- R-3 Residential occupancies where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature and not classified as R-1, R-2, R-4 or I; and where buildings do not contain more than two dwelling units; or adult or child care facilities that provide accommodations for five or fewer persons of any age for less than 24 hours
- R-4 Residential Care/Assisted Living Facilities, including more than five but not more than 16 occupants, excluding staff
- R-5 One and Two Family Dwellings (detached dwellings and townhouses) not more than three stories in height with a separate means of egress and their accessory structures
Storage Group S – For storage that is not classified a hazardous occupancy
- S-1 Moderate-Hazard Storage
- S-2 Low-Hazard Storage
Utility and Miscellaneous Use Group U – Buildings and structures of an accessory character and miscellaneous structures not classified in a specific occupancy
